5 Life-Saving Water Skills All Kids Should Know

Although it felt like Spring would never come this year it’s finally here and that means summer is right around the corner.

We are already preparing for a trip to Florida and I wanted to share some tips about how we’ve gotten our boys summer ready when it comes to water safety.

It’s EXTREMELY important that your children know the main points of water safety so they know how to act when around large bodies of water.

1. Get in and out of the pool safely From day one of Goldfish Swim School both my boys were taught the basics of getting out of the pool. Tucker first started in Mini 2, which is a class for children under 3-year-olds, every class they practiced the song “alligator on the wall” where they jump into the pool and an adult immediately placed them back on the wall to climb back out focusing on the elbow, elbow, belly, knee. Mikey’s favorite thing he’s learned in his junior 1 class, for 3-4 year old, is the crab walk where they scoot along the wall in the pool until they get to a safe place to get out.

2. Learn how to go underwater. When your kids are comfortable with holding their breath and going underwater their confidence around large bodies of water drastically improves. This is something you can get your young children comfortable with at home in the bathtub. Simply tell them to “make a bubble” and pour a little water over their head.

3. Turn over and float on their back. The sea otter float is one of the most important life skills taught in swim lessons. Why? Because if your child tires out while swimming, or if your little one ends up in the pool when they aren’t supposed to be, floating on their backs allows them to relax and regroup before easing their way over to the side of the pool.

4. Tread water Every swimmer should know how to tread water. It not only a life-saving skill, but it also gives swimmers even more confidence in the water and allows them to feel comfortable and hang out in the water where it may be too deep for them to touch.

5. Swim forward There are all different swim strokes that can be learned to move forward in the water. The more your child knows the faster they’ll swim and the safer they’ll be in the water. And lucky for you, swimming is a lot like riding a bike, once your child learns how to do it, it’s a skill that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

Goldfish Swim School provides swim lessons and water safety for children 4 months old to 12 years old. To find a Goldfish Swim School near you click here. Schools are now located in over 26 states and Canada.

If you are in the Columbus area, GSS is opening up a BRAND NEW location! The Lewis Center will be open this July and registration for classes is currently open. Call 614-407-3474 to register today!